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Patrice Cormier feels like his career is finally starting to get in a groove.

The 21-year-old was suspended for much of his final junior season, and last year he battled injuries that held him to 32 games between the Chicago Wolves and Atlanta Thrashers.

Even though he would have much rather spent this season in the NHL, he is happy to simply have been on the ice from start to finish.

“It’s the first season in three years that I’ve been healthy, knock on wood. I feel good,” Cormier said Monday. “I’ve been playing my game: hitting, fighting, getting a couple of lucky goals; doing whatever I can to help the team, and I want to do the same thing up here.”

The Jets recalled Cormier on Monday morning to take the roster spot of Kyle Wellwood, who broke his foot on Saturday in Tampa and will miss Winnipeg’s remaining three games. Cormier will play his seventh game of the season with the Jets on Tuesday night when they visit the Florida Panthers in the third of a four-game road trip.

Cormier has 31 points in 54 AHL games this season, and despite not registering a point in six contests with the Jets he’s been a force in the face-off circle, winning 18 of 22 draws. He’s one of those players who appears to be on the cusp of becoming a Jets regular. He needs to take that next step, and he’ll get three games to springboard into training camp in the fall.

“I want to show that I can play,” Cormier said. “I’m not going to say I belong here and I should have played here. I mean, I want to show that I can play and I can do whatever they ask me to do.”

PARTY POOPERS?

The Jets are out of playoff contention, but they have a chance to play spoiler on Tuesday night against the Panthers.

Florida leads the Southeast Division, but they haven’t even clinched a playoff spot yet. The Washington Capitals were three points back of the Panthers going into their game on Monday night in Tampa. If the Caps overtake the Panthers in the Southeast, Florida could fall to eighth — or worse, as the ninth-place Buffalo Sabres are five points back with three games remaining.

“I’m excited to get the game going,” Panthers forward Stephen Weiss told the Miami Herald. “Look at me. I have goose bumps.”

If the Panthers beat the Jets, they will lock up their first playoff berth since 2000.

IN THE HANGAR

The Jets have two wins in their last eight games … Winnipeg is 2-2-1 against Florida this season … The last time they met, the Jets destroyed the Panthers 7-0 at MTS Centre … Evander Kane, who checked out Wrestlemania in Miami and was wearing a T-shirt in honour of The Rock on Monday, has four goals and three assists in just three games against Florida this season … Jets prospect Mark Scheifele, who plays for the OHL’s Barrie Colts, had to leave Saturday’s playoff game after taking a hit from behind, but he was expected to be back in the lineup on Monday night … The Jets practised at Florida’s practice facility on Monday morning because the Red Hot Chili Peppers had invaded BankAtlantic Center for an evening concert … If anyone has an extra Jets goalie helmet lying around, Duffy’s Sports Grill in Plantation, Fla., could use one. They still have an Atlanta Thrashers lid on the Southwest Division shelf with the rest of the team helmets.